WATER charges in Yorkshire are to rise by an average of just over one per cent.

The rise will be the equivalent of £5m taking the average bill to £366 a year, according to Yorkshire Water bosses.

However they insist that, compared to other water companies they will be the second cheapest bills in the UK and £33 cheaper than the national average.

The announcement comes as Yorkshire Water enters the second year of its bigger-ever investment programme which will total £3.8bn between 2015 and 2020.

Over the next 12 months that will equate to around £318m spent on improving water and sewerage services, including drinking water quality and waste water treatment.

Investment will also be made to conserve moorland, protect the environment from flooding, and improve rivers.

Chief executive Richard Flint said: "It is of paramount importance for us to keep our customers’ bills fair and affordable and that’s why we are the second cheapest water firm in the UK.

"The slight increase this year has been agreed with Ofwat and is largely due to inflation and the simple fact that the price of many of the products and services we use as a company has risen.”